$1.5 million bond set for accused in Saturday homicide

PEORIA — A Central Peoria man was ordered held on $1.5 million bond Wednesday for allegedly shooting another man to death over the weekend.

Sean T. Walls, 37, of 5306 N. Longwood Drive appeared in Peoria County Circuit Court. He is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the Saturday shooting of Derrick L. Booth Jr., 22, of Peoria. Judge Kirk Schoebein also scheduled a June 26 preliminary hearing.

One of the counts alleges that Walls meant to kill Booth, while the other alleges Walls knew Booth could be seriously hurt or killed if shot.

Booth was shot about 2:30 a.m. Saturday on the porch of 813 S. Greenlawn Ave. He died about 30 minutes later in the emergency room at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center of a single gunshot wound to the chest.

Prosecutor Dave Kenny said multiple witnesses told police they saw Walls go up to the porch and shoot at Booth several times. At least two shell casings were found at the scene.

When reached after the hearing, Peoria County State’s Attorney Jerry Brady declined to comment on a possible motive.

Kenny told Schoebein that Walls walked into the Peoria Police Station about 3 p.m. Monday and turned himself in. Two people came to police on Walls’ behalf, saying that it was Booth who retrieved a handgun and displayed it to Walls. The two tussled, and Walls told police the gun went off as they were struggling, Kenny said in open court.

But the prosecutor noted that autopsy results indicated the gun wasn’t in contact with Booth’s body and likely was fired from more than two feet away. Kenny also said the two people who gave accounts on Walls’ behalf differed about where the gun came from, and how Walls left the scene.

Walls faces at least 45 years and possibly up to life in prison if convicted.

Andy Kravetz can be reached at 686-3283 or akravetz@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @andykravetz. or read his military blog, inFormation, on pjstar.com.